Carton and carton blank



y 1950 c. J- PRAWDZIK 2,509,447

CARTON AND CARTON BLANK Filed July 1'7, 1947 INVEN TOR: CHARLES (I PRAWDZIK ATTURNE'Y Patented May 30, 1950 CARTON AND CARTON BLANK Charles J. Prawdzik, Trenton, N. J assignor, by mesne assignments, to Union Bag and Paper Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 17, 1947, Serial No. 761,549

3 Claims. (Cl. 229-30) My invention relates to cartons, containers, boxes and the like formed of fibrous folding board, and relates particularly to cartons which are tapered in vertical cross section to receive and fit about a special article or articles. a p

A typical carton of the type which is tapered in vertical cross section is that used in handling and shipping toilet bowls. Such cartons have heretofore been formed of three separate pieces of material, one of which forms the body of the carton and is creased to extend about the bottom and sides of the carton with the ends of the body piece overlapping at the top of the carton. The other two pieces of the assembly form the ends of the carton and are of suitable tapered form to be secured by staples or otherwise to the body piece along the bottom and inclined sides to form the completed carton. Hand holes are usually cut out in the end pieces to enable the carton to be grasped for lifting and handling.

, The material used in forming such cartons is necessarily heavy because of the weight of the toilet bowls to be received. However, even when using heavy material, rough handling of the cartons may cause the material to break or tear at the corners or in the areas where the separate pieces are joined together. Moreover, the pieces from which the carton is produced are usually shipped and stored in unassembled form and the actual fabrication of the carton has to be performed by the user, who is seldom equipped with proper machinery or skilled labor for producing a strong finished carton.

In accordance with my invention I overcome these objections to cartons and methods hereto fore used in producing cartons of the type employed in handling and shipping toilet bowls. For this purpose astrong, simple and improved type of carton or container is provided and the fabrication of the carton is completed by the manufacturer and need only be set up by the user. These advantages are preferably attained by forming the carton of a single piece of sheet stock which is rectangular in form and is scored and cut so as to be set up into a carton form without the use of special tools or skilled help. The construction further presents reinforced corner portions which serve to strengthen the carton and act as shock absorbing means and further provide a handle or gripping portion by which the carton may be lifted and moved about.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a new type of fibrous carton which is, tapered in vertical cross section.

A further object of my invention is, to produce a special type of fibrous container having reinforced corners.

A particular object of my invention is to provide an improved fibrous carton adapted for use in shipping and handling toilet bowls or other special articles.

These and other objects and features of my invention will appear from the following description thereof in which reference is made to the of Fig. 1 is set up.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the finished carton produced from the blank of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the carton of Fig. 3.

In that form of my invention illustrated in the drawing the carton is designed primarily for use in handling and shipping toilet bowls.

However, the same or similar cartons are adapted i for many other uses and may be employed for protecting and shipping articles of furniture such as end tables or magazine racks, or for shipping and storing groups of tapered articles such as bunches of asparagus.

The carton blank as supplied to the user is illustrated in Fig. 1 and is formed of a sheet of material such as corrugated fiber board or other fibrous folding board adapted for use in forming cartons or containers. In forming cartons for toilet bowls I usually use double faced corrugated board. The sheet employed in forming the blank of Fig. 1 is rectangular in shape and is provided with two longitudinally extending score lines 2 and 4 which are parallel to and spaced from the opposite edges Band 8 of the sheet. The sheet is further provided with corner score lines which extend at right angles to the longitudinal lines 2 and 4 as shown at l0, 12, It and It. The corner score lines are spaced apart longitudinally of the sheet to define side; panels IB and end panels 20. As shown in Fig. 1 the sheet is folded along the corner lines l2 and I6 and the opposite ends of the sheet are overlapped at 22 and secured together by staples or other fastening means 24.

The corner score lines are continued as cuts '26 inthe portion of the sheet between the longitop end flaps 28 and top side flaps 30 as in conventional carton construction. The bottom of the carton is formed from that portion of the sheet lying between the longitudinal score line 4 and the edge 8 of the sheet. It will be seen from Fig. 3 that this construction will result in a carton with a flat top and bottom which is a distinct advantage in stacking and shipping.

The end panels 20 of the carton are provided with inclined score lines 32 which extend from the points of intersection of the corner score lines l0, l2, l4 and IS with the upper longitudinal score line 2, to points 34 which are spaced from the intersection of the corner score lines with the lower longitudinal score line 4. The points 34 are spaced apart a distance equal to the desired width of the bottom of the finished carton. In this way triangular corner panels 36 are formed which when the carton is set up as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are folded inward adjacent the ends of the side panels 18 and serve to reinforce the corners and hold the ends 20 of the carton in inclined positions.

The bottom of the carton is formed by providing cuts 38 in the sheet which extend from the points 34 on the longitudinal score line 4 to the edge 8 of the sheet parallel to the corner score lines i0, l2, l4 and 16. In this way bottom end flaps 40 are provided which are equal in width to the width of the bottom of the finished carton, but are substantially narrower than the top end flaps 28. At the same time rectangular reinforcing panels 42- are formed which are located between the cuts 38 and the corner score lines and remain attached to the bottom side flaps 44 of the carton.

The carton blank thus formed is complete and ready for shipment to the user, and since the scoring at the diagonally opposite corners i2 and i6 of the carton permit the blank to be folded into a flat form, the blanks occupy very little space and can be easily shipped and stored to be set up and used by the purchaser.

In setting up the carton illustrated in Fig. l, the parts are moved to the positions shown in Fig. 2 in which the bottom end flaps 40 are folded inward along the horizontal score line 4. The lower part of each of the ends it of the carton is then moved inward by bending the triangular panels 36 inward about the corner score lines. The lower portions of the side panels is are simultaneously moved toward each other by bending the sheet material along the inclined score lines 32. In this way the triangular corner panels 36 of the carton are doubled inward against the ends of the projecting end portions of the side panels [8 of the carton, Whereas the rectangular reinforcing panels 42 are folded inward over the ends of the bottom side flaps 44 to which they are connected. The bottom side fiaps are then folded in over bottom end flaps 40 and the carton is thus fully set up ready for use. In order to hold the carton in shape and secure the parts together, suitable tape, staples or other fastening means may be applied to the overlapping bottom flaps 44. If desired, staples may also be driven through the multiple layers of the materiah where the triangular panel 36 and the rectangular panel 42 are folded against the projecting end portions of the side and bottom panels as shown at 46.

The construction thus provided is characterized.

by the fact that the corner portions of the carton are reinforced by the doubled thickness of material where the triangularpanels 36 overlie the projecting end portions of the sides of the carton.

Similarly, the reinforcing panels 42 cooperate tapered in vertical cross section in both longitudinal and transverse directions. This form of carton is particularly useful for shipping and handling toilet bowls, since it insures a relatively snug fit between the sides of the carton and the base of the toilet bowl at the bottom, and yet provides a similar relatively snug fit adjacent the enlarged upper portion of the bowl about the rim and the rear tank supporting shelf of the bowl. However, it is usual practice to insert a lower tray of corrugated board into the bottom of the carton as shown at 48 in Fig. 4 and to insert a similar cover member over the top'of the toilet bowl as shown at 50. The latter members afford additional cushioning and packing for the contents of the carton, but are not essential.

Similar snug fitting of the carton isafforded when it is used for storage and shipment of end tables, magazine racks, and other articles of furniture or as a container for bunches of asparagus or the like. Furthermore, when the carton is to be used for shipping other articles or products such as bunches of asparagus, it may be employed in inverted position and filled through the part here referred to as the bottom. The ends and sides of the carton may then be folded in and secured in place so as to be pressed about the bunches of asparagus to hold them firmly in place. The parts here referred to as bottom end and side flaps are then folded inward to close the container and may be sealed in place by tape or otherwise.

The reinforced corners of the carton produced in accordance with my invention render it possible to produce a strong durable construction while using sheet material which is considerably lighter in weight than that heretofore necessary to afford comparable strength. Moreover, the danger of splitting or tearing of the stock during rough handling is considerably reduced since the projecting and reinforced corner portions act as shock absorbing members for protecting the contents of the carton. v

A further advantage in the construction described resides in the fact that the sheet material from which the carton blank is formed can be cut and scored without waste and in a continuous operation so that the cartons can be produced more quickly and economically than has been possible heretofore.

While I have illustrated and described a particular form of carton embodying m invention,

and have suggested various uses for such cartons, it will be apparent that th principles of my invention may be embodied in numerous other forms and shapes of cartons and containers without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A blank for use in forming a carton comprising a rectangular sheet of fibrous folding board having top and bottom score lines extending parallel to and spaced from two opposite edges of said sheet, corner score lines extending from the top" score line to the bottom score line and at right angles thereto, said corner score lines being spaced apart and positioned to define side and end panels of the carton to be formed, said end panels each having two inclined score lines thereon extending from the intersections of said corner score lines with the top score line to points on the bottom score line spaced from the corner score lines, and cuts extending from the latter points to the adjacent edge of said sheet.

2. A blank for use in forming a carton comprising a rectangular sheet of fibrous folding board having two parallel score lines extending longitudinally of the sheet and spaced from the edges thereof, corner score lines extending at right angles to the longitudinal score lines and spaced apart longitudinally of the sheet in positions to define side and end panels of the carton to be formed, cuts formed as continuations of said corner score lines and extending from one of said longitudinal score lines to the adjacent edge of said sheet, said end panels each having two inclined score lines thereon extending from the inner ends of said cuts to the other longitudinal score line and terminating at points spaced from the corner score lines, and cuts extending from the latter points to the adjacent edge of the sheet.

3. A blank for use in forming a carton comprising a rectangular sheet of fibrous folding board having two parallel score lines extending longitudinally of the sheet and spaced from the edges thereof, corner score lines extending at right angles to the longitudinal score lines and spaced longitudinally of the sheet in positions to define side and end panels of the carton to be formed, said end panels each having two inclined score lines thereon extending from the intersections of said corner score lines with one of the longitudinal score lines to points on the other longitudinal score line spaced from the corner score lines, cuts extending from the latter points to the adjacent edge of said sheet parallel to said corner score lines, said blank being folded on said corner score lines and having the opposite ends thereof overlapping and secured together.

CHARLES J. PRAWDZIK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED s'ra'rns PA'IENTS Number Name Date 2,321,139 Gruger June 8, 1943 2,345,646 Williamson Apr. 4, 1944 

